Tetrarch

We* use our Neff Downdraft every time the hob is used. It has a setting that adjusts automatically to accomodate the amount of steam that is being generated. Ours is on an island with a large rooflight over part of it, so keeping the ceiling clear was very important to us aesthetically We actually went to the Siemens demo kitchen to see the identical downdraft hob in action and it has proved as effective in practice as it was in the showroom. THEY ARE NOT CHEAP, but this was an early line item in our budget and we got a great cashback from Neff by buying multiple items in their annual Autumn offer. We had them in boxes for nearly 8 months before they were installed. JohnMo is dead right about the MVHR and humidity. Our MVHR inlet is positioned at the left-hand corner of the pic below. It has two extract pipes in it. We would use the "boost" function but I haven't found a way to make my Alexa+Shelly switch work yet and it seems to work perfectly well without Regards Tet

Dependent on how big your pantry unit is I would seriously condider one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WMRJP8R?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3 It's a usb-rechargeable mini led strip that gives out a ton of light and the sensor works well (not perfectly, but well). I have one for the cupboard under the stairs and it is perfect for that Regards Tet

We have the Neff downdraft and it copes absolutely fine regularly with four pans on the go. The balance between the occasional lingering smell and the aesthetic appearance of no hood, (plus the theatre of the downdraft) means that we are happy with our decision A consideration may be the volume of the room the vent empties into. Whilst we only have one (double piped) vent directly over the island, the kickboard vent empties in a large space, so the effects may be mitigated somewhat Regards Tet

I was vetoed on these suggestions as a showerhead was a requirement, but if you are going full minimalist... Overflow filler: https://www.heatandplumb.com/acatalog/sagittarius-minimal-centrafill-bath-filler-waste-wa-486-c?msclkid=2fe061b79e891f53b0b108a635d67fc7 Ceiling filler: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kohler-Laminar-Ceiling-Filler-Polished/dp/B0013423IY Regards Tet

I've got three x 2.2m blinds for a 6.5m door. The supplier/installer (I was too chicken) recommended that 2 x 3.25m would be too big. I had all the blinds run on a single motor with the mechanisms linked so that they all move in lockstep. To the right I have another 1m blind on a separate motor I have Somfy blind controls that link to Alexa The all in cost for the blinds was £3,500 of which £900 was labour (survey and install) Added to that was the cost of the blindboxes - they were £1,500 on their own but they are very discreet and hide the blinds and the mechanism beautifully. These were a pain in tp fix as they were so long Regard

Real World Report I posted above in Jan '24 and we had the Neff Downdraft installed in September '24, so we've had a year's full use The reason we chose the downdraft in the island was to avoid having an extractor above the it. I have MVHR and we have a double-extract actually over the end of the island with the hob and this seems to take care of the extra humidity from the recirc. extractor It copes very well with all sorts of cooking and, with its auto function takes steam from the front of the cooking surface. The Neff Griddle plate is exceptionally good for steak and burgers https://www.neff-home.com/uk/en/product/accessories/hobs/cookware/tepan-yaki-grill-plates/17000339 Regards Tet

I've got the DeWalt 54v multi-tool and it is excellent, I look after hedges and some brambles on another property that means that the extra attachments are a real boon . Super powerful. In fact too powerful as a rogue bit of 2.5mm strimmer cable whipped off and gouged a lovely 2" channel in my shin - socks ruined by bloodstain. https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcmas5713n-xj-54v-li-ion-xr-flexvolt-brushless-cordless-split-boom-bare/831pg The brushcutter attachment is an evil looking piece of kit - small, but very effective https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-dcmasbc1n-xj-garden-multi-tool-brushcutter-attachment/373pg Highly recommended Regards Tet

Ah! - a quandary indeed Regards Tet

Ooops - apologies If you want an opinion, then definitely don't paint. Let the wood go through its full shrinking/drying/colour-changing cycle and see how you feel afterwards. Regards Tet

If you want maintenance-free then you could do a lot worse than Millboard. I used Cedral on a prevous house (both outside and as a bath panel) and it is a great product, but is definitely "just a concrete board" https://www.millboard.com/en-gb/composite-cladding-collections/board-batten/golden-oak/MCBF360G The millboard cladding is astonishingly realistic, and is really good for mitre-ing. The only downside is that it is NOT cheap. Other cladding boards are available,but when you compare them close-up the Millboard is a cut above. My critical criteria was waterproofing as I wanted to add a rain chain and they do splash a bit. I attach some during and after installation photos Regards Tet

We have recirculation with a Neff Downdraft. The MVHR was designed with this in mind and there's a double extract almost directly over the hood - we've not used the boost Regards Tet

You'll have to fold both springs down. I'd try to bend both down, using a screwdriver to wedge them against the bottom and then use a zippy-strip to hold them in situ - that should let you get the whole thing out Regards Tet

Thank you for the candid feedback. Fat finger: That deflection is 16mm not 160mm This is entirely my typographical error - for which I apologise One piece of hitherto unprovided information. The North/South beam is 8m long, so there is a significant load on the centre of the East/West beam. This install will definitely need significant professional input. I would still like to know the answer to my original question though...... Regards Tet

Hi Nick, The beam required to span the gap was ~800kg. The deflection is 160mm which is significantly more than the door supplier specifies I understand that I am out of my depth, but my intuition is that there are multiple compromises with a single beam which can be entirely offset by a single compromise of a single supporting pillar IF I am correct, then the size of the pillar becomes the entirety of the compromise - hence my question. I'm only interested in the comparison between vertical supports Regards Tet

This must be a common situation but I'd like some comment on alternatives. The below picture is just to illustrate the install and there has been no structural calcs yet so the proposed steels are not to scale. The plan is to open up the back of the house and install a 6.5m fully-opening patio door and remove the internal wall the currently runs North/South. It's a two-storey house so both beams will be replacing supporting walls above. Accepting that some kind of vertical support will be needed. Aesthetically, my view is that a circular pillar (indicated by the yellow circle) is far less obtrusive than a square or raw I-beam. Is there a way to find a comparison between round, square and circular vertical supports cross-section vs compressive load. The actual numbers are not as important as the relative cross-sectional area Regards Tet P.S. Asking for a friend.